Toilet seat

ABSTRACT

A toilet seat for composting toilets, which toilet seat comprises a seat ring, a bowl space, a bottom hole of the bowl space, and a separator of liquids such as washing water and urine. The toilet seat is implemented by adapting the inside surface of the front part of the bowl space to be at its upper part essentially vertical, at its middle part almost horizontal, and at its lower part convexly curved so that the center part of the curved area is closer to the rear part of the bowl space than the start and end points of the convexly shaped lower part, whereby liquids entering the front part of the bowl space in the toilet seat are conducted along the inside surface of the front part into a separate liquids collection container, or alternatively, to a treatment process, and that the liquids separator is formed by a shutter adapted to the lower part of the bowl space or below it.

The present invention concerns a toilet seat for composting toilets,said toilet seat comprising a seat ring, a bowl space, a bottom hole ofthe bowl space, and separation means for liquids such as washing waterand urine.

Composting toilets of prior art have been equipped with toilet seatscontaining no facilities for the separation of liquids, whereby urineand other liquids entering the toilet seat have landed into the samespace with the bulk to be composted. The composting process isdeteriorated thereof due to the excessive moisture content of the bulkand the disturbed balance of the carbon/nitrogen ratio by the surplusnitrogen from the urine.

Known in the art are also composting toilet constructions in which theliquids separation means of the toilet seats have been designed to becomprised of relatively simple baffles and similar elements. In thesetoilet seats a portion of the urine frequently ends up into the bulk tobe composted, thus disturbing the composting process. The use of thesetoilet seats is further hampered by other drawbacks. For instance,urination is possible only in a sitting position. Moreover, the cleaningof the interior surfaces of the toilet seat with water is cumbersome,since the water entering the seat can reach the composting space,therein disturbing the composting process.

It is an object of the present invention to achieve a novel type oftoilet seat for composting toilets, said toilet seat being capable ofovercoming the drawbacks described above. The toilet seat in accordancewith the invention is characterized by having the inside surface of thefront part of the bowl space adapted to be at its upper part essentiallyvertical, at its middle part almost horizontal, and at its lower partconvexly curved so that the center part of the curved area is closer tothe rear part of the bowl space than the start and end points of theconvexly shaped lower part, whereby liquids entering the front part ofthe bowl space in the toilet seat are conducted along the inside surfaceof the front part into a separate liquids collecting container, oralternatively, to a treatment process, and by having the liquidsseparation means formed by a shutter adapted to the lower part of thebowl space or below it.

A preferred embodiment of the toilet seat in accordance with theinvention is characterized in that the shutter is transferrable so as tomake it possible to close entirely or partially the connection via thebottom hole of the bowl space to the composting space.

Another preferred embodiment of the apparatus in accordance with theinvention is characterized in that the shutter is transferrable in thelongitudinal direction of the toilet seat between its lowered positionunder the bowl space and its rear position by means of a transfermechanism which is connected to the shutter.

A further another preferred embodiment of the apparatus in accordancewith the invention is characterized in that the transfer mechanism ofthe shutter is comprised of lever arms having their one end pivotallyconnected to the edges of the bowl space and the other end to theshutter; of springs having their one end attached to the shutter and theother end to the edge of the bowl space; and of an operating leveradapted to that end of the lever arms which is at the bowl space side.

The toilet seat in accordance with the invention manages the liquidsseparation without the need for auxiliary means, whereby the design ofthe inside surface of the seat bowl acts as the liquids separator. Dueto the washing possibility, the toilet seat can be kept hygienic andpleasant to use. Furthermore, the construction achieves thepossibilities of urination in the conventional manners, either standingor sitting. Combination of a hand-held shower head with the toilet seatin accordance with the invention extends its use as a bidet.

In the following, the invention will be examined in more detail with thehelp of a preferred exemplifying embodiment with reference to theattached drawings, in which

FIGS. 1-3 show diagrammatically in a side view a toilet seat inaccordance with the invention,

FIG. 4 shows in a partially sectional front view a toilet seat inaccordance with the invention, and

FIG. 5 shows a toilet seat in accordance with the invention adapted to acomposting equipment.

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a toilet seat 4 in accordance with the invention,together with the attached liquids separation means 5. The toilet seat 4has the inside surface 45 of the front part of the bowl space 42 adaptedto be essentially vertical at its upper part, and at its middle partalmost horizontal so that liquids entering the upper part of the bowlspace 42 flow at a low speed along the inside surface 45. After themiddle part, the inside surface 45 is shaped convexly curved so that thecenter part of the curved area is closer to the rear part of the bowlspace 42 than the start and end points of the convexly shaped lowerpart, whereby liquids are conducted along the inside surface 45 of thefront part into a separate collection container, or alternatively, to atreatment process. The convexly shaped lower part is designed formaximum radius, thereby reducing the centripetal force component thattends to detach the liquid flow from the inner surface 45. The convexlyshaped lower part of the inside surface 45 of the front part in the bowlspace 42 bends over a liquid collecting channel leading to a liquidscollecting container or equivalent so that the convexly shaped partprevents solid waste from entering the liquid-collecting channel, andvice versa, the liquids from entering the composting space. Such adesign of the inside surface 45 of the bowl space 42 achieves liquidsseparation without the need for specific means of liquids separation.

Adapted below the bowl space 42 of the toilet seat 4 is a shutter 5,which closes communication via the bottom hole 43 to the compostingspace. The shutter 5 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in a position closingcommunication to the composting space. Thus, the situation illustratedin FIG. 2 makes it possible to bring liquids into the bowl space 42 inorder to, e.g., wash the inside of the bowl space, yet avoiding theentry of the liquids into the composting space below the bottom hole 43,but instead, directing them into the liquid-collecting channel. Theshutter 5 is easily transferrable aside from below the bottom hole 43,whereby the discharge of solid waste into the composting space becomespossible. Such a construction is illustrated in FIG. 3, in which apressing force exerted on the seat ring 46 results in the transfer ofthe shutter 5 to its rear position by the effect of a spring 52 andlever arms 51. The transfer mechanism of the shutter 5 is comprised oflever arms 51, whose one end is pivotally connected to the edges of thebowl space 42 and the other end to the shutter 5, of the springs 52having their one end attached to the shutter 5 and the other end to theedge of the bowl space, and of an operating lever adapted to that end ofthe lever arms 51 which is at the bowl space side. The connection of thelever arms 51 to the edges of th®bowl space is adapted be resilient,principally in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the lever arms51. The shutter 5 stays in this situation in its lower position byvirtue of resting against the lower edge of the bowl space. When thelever arms 51 are pushed downward, the shutter 5 is opened by means ofthe spring 52. The shutter 5 reverts to its lower position shown in FIG.1 by, e.g., pulling from an operating lever adapted to effect on thelever arm 51, or alternatively, by operating a return member 54 such asa push rod which is attached to the seat ring cover 44 and adapted tomove the operating lever 53.

The opening motion of the shutter 5 can be achieved by the effect of,e.g., the seat ring 46 or a similar member, which exerts a pressingforce on the pivotal joint of the lever arms 51 when the seating personexerts a pressing force on the seat ring 46.

FIG. 4 shows the toilet seat in accordance with the invention inpartially sectioned front view. In this diagram the shutter 5 istrough-shaped and moved to its lower position.

FIG. 5 shows an entity comprising the toilet seat 4 in accordance withthe invention combined with a composting equipment. These two componentstogether form a composting toilet. The composting toilet illustrated inFIG. 5 is disclosed in a parallel patent application.

The toilet seat 4 can be connected to a water pipe, thereby making itpossible to flush the inside of the bowl space 42. This flushingfacility can be combined with an automatically operating mechanism whichcloses the shutter 5 at the opening of a valve in the water pipe.

Furthermore, the toilet seat in accordance with the invention issuitable for use as a bidet when completed with a hand-held shower head.

For those versed in the art, it is obvious that the invention is notlimited to the exemplifying embodiments described above; by contrast,the invention can be varied within the claims disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A toilet seat for composting toilets, said toiletseat comprising:a) a bowl having a seat rim; b) a seat cover attached tothe bowl; c) a seat ring attached to the bowl; d) an interior bowlsurface having a front part, a rear part, two side parts, and a bottomhole;the front part of said interior bowl surface having an uppersection, a middle section, and a curved lower section, with the uppersection adapted to be essentially vertical, the middle section almosthorizontal, and the curved lower section having a top end, a middlesegment, and a bottom end, said curved lower section being convexlycurved so that the apex of the curve is within the middle segment ofsaid curved lower section closer to the rear part of the interior bowlsurface than are either the top or bottom ends of said curved lowersection; and e) means for separating liquids, such as urine, from solidwaste, such means comprising a shutter adapted to fit tightly againstsaid bottom hole along the rear part and side parts of said interiorbowl surface, but not the bottom end of the curved lower section of thefront part of said interior bowl surface;whereby liquid deposited on thefront part of the interior bowl surface are conducted along the frontpart of said interior bowl surface into said liquids separation means.2. A toilet seat as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that theshutter is transferrable between a lowered position under the bowl spaceand a raised position and is capable of closing incrementallycommunication via the bottom hole of the bowl space.
 3. A toilet seat asclaimed in claim 1, characterized in that the shutter is transferrablebetween a lowered position under the bowl space and a rear position bymeans of a transfer mechanism connected to the shutter.
 4. A toilet seatas claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the transfer mechanism ofthe shutter comprises lever arms having a longitudinal axis and a radialaxis and each having one end pivotally connected to an edge of the bowlspace thereby forming a pivotal joint element and the other end to theshutter; springs each having one end attached to the shutter and theother end to an edge of the bowl space; and operating levers connectedto the ends of the lever arms which are at the bowl space side.
 5. Atoilet seat as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the connectionsof the lever arms to the edges of the bowl space are adapted to beresilient particularly in the direction of the longitudinal axis of thelever arms.
 6. A toilet seat as claimed in claim 5, characterized inthat the seat ring is positioned above the seat rim of the toilet seat,said seat ring being arranged to move the joint element of the leverarms so as to make the lever arms move in the direction of theirlongitudinal axis when a pressing force is exerted on the seat ring. 7.A toilet seat as claimed in claim 4 characterized in that a returnmember is connected to the cover of the toilet seat for the returnmovement of the shutter.
 8. A toilet seat as claimed in claim 7,characterized in that the return member is a pivotally mounted push rodadapted to move the operating lever.